[net.religion] The City of God

amigo2@ihuxq.UUCP (John Hobson) (01/17/84)

A few days ago, I posted an article on St. Augustine of Hippo's
views on sex.  This is something in the way of a follow-up article,
defending St. Augustine, lest you think that he was just a
puritanical bastard out to condemn everyone for enjoying sex.  He
was a brilliant writer and thinker, and his CONFESSIONS is one of
the finest autobiographies written in any language--although to
appreciate the full beauty of it, it should be read in Latin.  His
book on the Trinity (DE TRINITATE) is a first class work of
theology (with a marvellous forward which has something to the
effect of "If you disagree with what I am saying here, do not
condemn me out of hand, but read it and consider it.  If I am still
alive, I will be happy to discuss it with you, and you may convince
me that I am wrong.  I certainly know that I don't have all the
answers.")

However, what I want to write about is Augustine's masterpiece, his
CITY OF GOD.  This book is a classic in Christian literature and
thought, while also giving a badly needed psychological boost. 
Let me explain.  In Augustine's time (about 400 AD), the Roman
empire had stood for over a thousand years, although it had been in
decay for a long time.  The thought of Rome falling was
unimaginable.  And yet, Rome was sacked by the barbarians and it
was made painfully obvious to all that the empire (at least in the
west, the eastern empire soldiered on for another millenium) was
dead.  This came as a terrible psychological blow to every
civilized person, a shock so profound that it is almost impossible
for us to comprehend anything like it.  Augustine's CITY OF GOD
said that there were two "cities", the city of God--signified by
the heavenly Jerusalem in the Book of Revelations--and the city of
man--signified by Rome.  The city of God is eternal and
perfect--the Platonic ideal of a city (Augustine was heavily
influenced by the neo-Platonism of Plotinus), while the city of man
is temporary and imperfect.  (This, as you will note, is another 
example of how Augustine had not shaken off Manichaeanism
completely.)  Thus, it was natural that Rome should fall, but the
heavenly kingdom would remain and would prevail in the end ("I will
show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.  And he...showed me that
great city, the holy Jerusalem descending out of heaven...." 
Revelations 21:9-10).  This was a great comfort to those who read
it, and went a long way towards establishing the attitude towards
heaven that Christians have had ever since.

				John Hobson
				AT&T Bell Labs
				Naperville, IL
				(312) 979-7293
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